Court Case Against James Comey

Apr 29, 2026, 20:18
USPolitics

Introduction

James Comey was the leader of the FBI. Now, the government says he threatened President Donald Trump on the internet.

Main Body

In May 2025, Comey posted a photo of shells on Instagram. The shells made the numbers 86 and 47. The government says 86 means to kill. They say he wanted to hurt the 47th President. Comey says he did not want to hurt anyone. He says the post was about politics. He deleted the photo because people did not understand it. Some people think this case is not fair. They say the law protects free speech. They also say the government is angry at people who disagree with them.

Conclusion

James Comey went to court. He says he is not guilty. The government says they must protect the President.

Learning

🕒 The 'Now' and the 'Then'

Look at how the story changes time. This is the key to A2 English: knowing if something is happening now or if it happened before.

1. The Past (Finished Actions) When the story talks about May 2025, the verbs change.

  • Post →\rightarrow Posted
  • Make →\rightarrow Made
  • Delete →\rightarrow Deleted

Rule: Add -ed to the end of the word to show it is over.

2. The Present (Facts and Feelings) When the story talks about what people think today, the words stay simple.

  • The government says...
  • Comey says...
  • People think...

Quick Comparison:

  • He posted a photo. (It happened once, then it stopped) →\rightarrow Past
  • He is not guilty. (This is his status now) →\rightarrow Present

Vocabulary Learning

leader (n.)
chief / head of an organization領袖
Example:The leader of the team decided to start the meeting early.
government (n.)
state authority / officials政府
Example:The government announced new rules for traffic.
threatened (v.)
to say or imply danger威脅
Example:He threatened to leave the city if the price was too high.
President (n.)
head of state / chief executive總統
Example:The President will speak at the ceremony.
internet (n.)
global network of computers互聯網
Example:She likes to read news on the internet.
posted (v.)
to put online or on a board張貼
Example:He posted a picture of his new car on Facebook.
photo (n.)
a picture taken by a camera照片
Example:I took a photo of the sunset.
shell (n.)
the hard outer part of a sea creature or a weapon外殼
Example:The shell of the turtle was very thick.
Instagram (n.)
a social media app for photosInstagram
Example:She shared her travel photos on Instagram.
number (n.)
a symbol or word that represents a quantity數字
Example:The number 10 is written with two digits.
means (v.)
to express or signify表示
Example:The word 'hello' means greeting in English.
kill (v.)
to cause death殺死
Example:The movie shows how to kill a computer virus.
hurt (v.)
to cause pain or damage傷害
Example:If you fall, you might hurt your arm.
anyone (pron.)
any person任何人
Example:Anyone can join the club.
post (n.)
a message on the internet貼文
Example:Her post about the concert was popular.
politics (n.)
activities related to government政治
Example:They discuss politics at the dinner table.
deleted (v.)
to remove or erase刪除
Example:I deleted the old files from my computer.
people (n.)
human beings人們
Example:People love to travel during holidays.
understand (v.)
to grasp the meaning理解
Example:Do you understand the instructions?
case (n.)
an instance of something案件
Example:This case shows how to solve the problem.
fair (adj.)
just or unbiased公平
Example:The judge gave a fair decision.
law (n.)
rule or regulation法律
Example:The law protects everyone's rights.
protects (v.)
to keep safe from harm保護
Example:The shield protects the soldier.
free (adj.)
not costing money or not restricted免費
Example:The museum offers free entry on Sundays.
speech (n.)
talk given to an audience演講
Example:He gave a speech about education.
angry (adj.)
feeling strong displeasure生氣
Example:She was angry when the game was cancelled.
disagree (v.)
to have a different opinion不同意
Example:I disagree with your plan.
went (v.)
to move from one place to another前往
Example:They went to the park after school.
court (n.)
place where legal cases are heard法院
Example:The case will be heard in court.
guilty (adj.)
responsible for a crime有罪
Example:The jury found him guilty.
must (modal)
necessary or required必須
Example:You must wear a helmet when riding a bike.
protect (v.)
to keep safe from danger保護
Example:Use sunscreen to protect your skin.
May (n.)
month of the year五月
Example:We will travel in May.
now (adv.)
at the present time現在
Example:I am working now.
was (v.)
past tense of be是
Example:She was happy yesterday.
did (v.)
past tense of do做了
Example:He did his homework last night.
want (v.)
to desire something想要
Example:I want a new book.
not (negation)
negative particle不是
Example:She is not ready yet.
some (det.)
a few or unspecified amount一些
Example:Some people like coffee.
says (v.)
to speak or state說
Example:He says he will come tomorrow.